Tag: tools

Over a year ago, a blog reader (whose name I don’t remember. Sorry, because you desrve the credit) told me about the pink Task Lamp from OTT. They were always on sale at Joann.com and of course you could use a coupon on them. At the time, I didn’t want to spend the money. Well, last week I ordered one because, well. I’ve turned into my mother.

You see, when I was a kid, my mom would have me thread her hand sewing needles for her. I had no idea the time would come when I would be booed up next to a HD lamp so I could see to trace patterns and thread needles. If there was a small child in my house, I would just go ahead and ask them to thread for me.

Now that I sew in my basement, the light isn’t good. I’ve been stuggling with tracing the last few months as there is very little natural light in my basement. I have three bulbs in my overhead light and it’s just not enough for tracing my Burdas.

The lamp honestly makes a WORLD of difference. It makes things significantly brighter. It’s also wonderful for figuring out if that dark fabric is more blue than black. And, before you ask. Yes, it does come in colors that aren’t pink 🙂

They are $40 now at Joann.com and when I purchased shipping was free. If I could afford it, I would get the floor lamp too just to keep by my sewing machine.

Which means that yes, after two hours and multiple trips from the computer in the basement to my sewing room on the second floor, I made a fly front.The Sandra Betzina video is in fact good. I somehow still don’t quite have it right. I should have added some width to the fly extension. But, practice will make perfect.

Marking the fly was super easy with my little template. Debbie Cook pointed out on her blog during her Best Jeans Ever week, that you can also use the zipper packet. Who knew? This template has a 1″ and 1-1/4″ marking. There were two. I now have one. I bought them about 10 years ago. Yikes. Do you remember that weird feeling when you could first remember 10 years ago?

I’m also adding a lining to these pants although the pattern doesn’t call for it. It was easier to construct than the pant! To make a lining for these, just eliminate the pocket and attach the yoke to the pant leg.

Ok. I’m going to look for the other template now. That’s going to drive me crazy.

If you bought some of the striped rain coat fabric last week, you know it says ‘dry clean only’ Leslie has done a little pre-wash of fabric samples to see what happens to it with home care. I am grateful for this as I was was too stingy to give up any of my four yards for a test before I knew what I was doing with it.

I thought it might be kind of interesting to show you my pressing hams. If you find this interesting, might I suggest you listen to the Sew Forth Now Podcast with Ann of Gorgeous Things? Seriously… listening to it made me want to iron.

Just this week I completed my pressing ham collection. Yes. Completed. I’ve had a seam roll and 6×9 Dritz pressing ham for about four years now– bought on one of those “50 percent off the notion wall” weekends at Joanns.

But, I never really knew there were more hams until a post by Els at the Sewing Divas (I am still obsessed with that press buck!). A few months later I picked up the Dritz Guide to Modern Sewing and read about the difference between a dressmaker’s ham and a tailor’s ham.

The author suggests you ask for them at the notions counter of your favorite department store. Mmmmhhhhhmmm. Nordstrom will get right on that. Those must have been the days!

Dressmaker ham on the left, tailor ham on the right

Some of the oldest professional pressing supplies were only recently available to home sewers. These are the tailor’s cushions or pressing hams. A medium dressmaker’s ham for dressmaking details, such as pressing the proper curve under a bust dart, or shrinking the top of a set-in sleeve cap; and a larger tailor’s ham (‘professional size’) for tailoring details, such as pressing the proper roll in a collar or label. — Dritz Guide to Modern Sewing I think both hams can serve your purpose, just the larger size of the tailor’s ham let’s you accomodate a larger collar, bigger darts, larger seams…..

Seam roll is shaped more like a sausage than a ham and is useful for pressing inside sleeves, pant legs, elbow darts, zipper plackets and long narrow curved seams. —Dritz Guide to Modern Sewing

June Tailor Ham Holder (which holds all these hams very well)

Els’ post got me hooked on getting a ham holder. I found myself needing a hand to hold my ham in the right position. And when your iron weighs five pounds, you need both hands to work with the iron. Happily, my June Tailor Contoured Dressmaker’s ham and ham holder came together.

Back in September Dawn posted about making a collar. She had it pinned to a contoured ham and until then, I’d never seen one in my life.

These hams are packed with dry, hardwood dust and covered with wool so the steam penetrates the fabric more readily. Also, wool against wool helps avoid unwanted shine. — Dritz Guide to Modern Sewing

Now for beginner sewers. Please don’t think you need to have all these hams in order to sew. I just started using a ham in the last few years and only recently acquired the remainder off of eBay. That being said, I looked for new hams as my sewing skill increased and I recognized the need for more versatility. I also love vintage items and things like these are fairly cheap on eBay. I might have spent $25 not including S&H for the contoured, large ham, ham holder and larger seam roll.

Finally, I owe some back pedaling on yesterday’s Knip Mode post. I said that American patterns do not have the level of detail as the European magazines. That’s not entirely true. There are patterns that have that kind of detail (especially Vogue as they have RTW designers) and they certainly walk you through the construction process better :).

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